We carried out our inspection on 10 July 2017. The inspection was announced.

The service provides accommodation for up to five people living with learning disabilities. The service is located in a residential area of Wellingborough. Accommodation is on two floors and there is a communal lounge and kitchen dining area. The Chestnuts has a garden. At the time of our inspection three people were using the service.

The service was managed by a person who had applied to be a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Staff understood and put into practice the provider’s procedures for safeguarding people from abuse and avoidable harm. They advised people using the service about how to keep safe in the home and when they were out participating in activities. The provider had enough suitably skilled staff to be able to meet the needs of people using the service. Staff prompted people to take their own medicines. The provider had implemented new and improved arrangements for the safe management of medicines shortly before our inspection.

People using the service were supported by staff who had received relevant and appropriate training. This included training about people’s health. This meant staff understood the needs of people they supported. Staff were supported through effective supervision and training. Staff understood the relevance to their work of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. They sought people’s consent before they provided care and support.

Staff supported people with their nutritional needs by providing information about balanced diets and healthy eating. They supported people to prepare their own meals. People were supported to access the relevant health services when they needed to.

We saw several interactions between people and staff and it was evident that staff were considerate and caring. People were able to participate in a variety of meaningful activities that reflected their hobbies and interests at The Chestnuts and when they went out.

People were involved in the assessments of their needs and in reviews of their plan of care. People were provided with information about their care and support options and were involved in decisions about their care and support. Care worker’s respected people’s privacy and dignity.

People’s plans of care were centred on their specific needs. Those plans had agreed aims and objectives which care workers helped people to achieve. People knew how to raise concerns if they had any. The provider acted on concerns people had raised.

The provider had aims and objectives that were understood by staff and people using the service. They had effective procedures for monitoring and assessing the quality of service that promoted continuous improvement.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.